Changing Timelines
by electricgurl
Summary: Merlin has lived forever and a day, he knows the day that Arthur comes back. January 24th, 1979.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin couldn't tell you how old he was at this point, but he did know when things started to change for the better, he had grown older and older as the years went on, his features pausing in time five times over the years. He had never really understand the reason behind it but he could have sworn that he felt Arthur. March 5th, 1861, November 1944, April 30th until May 2nd 1973, August 15th, 1978 , these dates meant nothing and were so random and latest random times that he didn't bother to look.

Now currently at his 87th year old version, he really wished he would have. It was familiar in a number of ways to him and it was amusing that it was during this time that he started to reverse. It started on January 24th, 1979, at least the local and important timezone of the one that his friend was reincarnated in. When he woke up he realized he had de-aged almost 10 years in one night and knew that Arthur was back.

He leaves that night to the Americas, it wasn't the first time but he was surprised that his King was born in America, he had thought it would be Britain of some-type from the years gone by. The plane is horrible but at least he won't have to worry about using his powers. If he had thought that it had been a bad idea to be a wizard in Uther's court, well the modern world was even tougher. He refused to think about this and forced his focus onto times long ago with his friends in court.

He lands and can not sense were to go from his current location, the child has settled into his family and is happy. He had only sensed the country from the shock of the birth itself. He settled into the town and looked for the supplies he would need for his travels. After three weeks he was set and started out on the road just traveling back roads and enjoying the people he ran into. Taking care of some of the bastard version of creatures that stalked the woods. He didn't out right hunt them, but some was drawn in by his power. He was magick after all and it sometime leaked, it wasn't controllable, it just was what it was. It was how he still lived and had started to grow younger. It had slowed greatly at the moment, but he wasn't worried. The child had a long time to grow up and Merlin wasn't in a great rush to see what was left of his friend.

November 2nd, 1983 is the next time he de-ages, this time five years but he was already in his early seventies. This time the pain rang in his head, it shook and moved. Tore across Merlin's brain and he was left curled up in a hotel bed for a week before he could do anything other than eat, sleep and take care of his bodily function. He knew the state and town even the damn street his old friend was currently on but he didn't rush in. He needed to heal, his mother gone for the second time, once more by magic and Merlin felt a hand tighten around his heart again.

Would it be like before, would he hate magic before he even knew of Merlin and what they would do. He sighed and stayed at the hotel for a second week before hitting the road, not driving anywhere but knowing he was headed for Lawrence. By the time he arrives he realizes that the family has already moved on from the small town and is on the road. Merlin sighs and heads to the road himself, he would only go in if it seemed like there was no coming out. If Arthur was to become the ruler he needed to be he needed to grow up and he did that without Merlin the first time.

There had been a number of times over the years he had almost stolen across the night to be beside his friends side, no matter what the risk but instead he found and settled into a bar named the Roadhouse. He worked alongside Ellen and Bill Harvelle and was surprised when their daughter Jo Harvelle turned out to be Morgana, but this was a different kind of woman. She was kind and decent and Merlin watched her grow up being loved and it make a world of difference. But as the family grew older Merlin started to grown younger still, it was later in the year of 1989 that he gets a shock from his past friend. There isn't much to do, it isn't really a threat just his father and him as normal.

It was Christmas Eve 1991 that he actually had to leave the room, his body grasped in a panic attack that his other half would not let himself feel. He took a deep breath as Ellen came up behind him and he knew the intake of breath meant that she was seeing his face change in front of her. He also had started at this point to grow upwards slightly his spine going straighter than it had been in years. Their eyes meet and he sighed deeply, she just smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You can come and explain it to everyone." He told his story that evening, told Jo a little about their connection as he knew she would soon be able to tune into it on her own, she didn't have the magick from the past but she still had some. They accepted him quicker than he would have thought. It was 1995 this time and a new type of pain arches into Merlin, a loss of innocent. He knew that Dean had embraced his fathers wishes and knew he should be there to help him but he couldn't go to him yet. It faded into regret and loss of family and Merlin had packed up before he realized he was half way out the door.

Jo stopped him this time, one of the tales of their lives in her arm and she just shook her head, "not yet." Then they had retired to the living room and read for the rest of the evening and the pain slowly started to fade before he felt his soul torn in two and knew Dean had found someone he had loved and wondered what had made him so sad. He would have to remember to ask him someday if he ever got to meet him.

Life seems to settle slightly around everyone, he ran into a few more people he knew in the past, it was most ever gathered. That was when it really started, pain from Arthur almost every day, his life changing and rolling non-stop. There were a number of times he had to stop himself from leaving the roadhouse over the next two years, and when he felt them coming he ran. He fled and started to hunt more, trying to keep space knowing that it was never going to be the right time. This went on for another year before he felt the ticking clock finally and knew he was too far away even with magic and then it was over. He had deaged to be about forty years old and it was unfair.

He stumbled back to the roadhouse and crashed out, crying and being held for the next three weeks, it was ten times worse than when he held him in his arms. At least then he had know he had been alive, he wept and missed the friend he never met this time around. Which is why the morning he woke up and was twenty eight again, the age that Arthur died the first time he couldn't help but rushing from the room and vanishing to the grave site he knew the bones rested. He waved his hand over the single cross marked grave and the dirt pulled and rolled itself out of the way to show a hand push past the wood and into the now empty space.

Another arm and then a head and shoulders presented itself, Merlin reached down to take his arm, "Arthur, nice to see you, gonna give the third attempt a good shot right."

"Who the fuck are you?" came the reply from the man in the grave, "what the hell happen?!"

TBC? what do you think? should I go on?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Forward Thinking**_

"_Arthur, nice to see you, gonna give the third attempt a good shot, right?"_

"_Who the fuck are you? What the hell happen?!"_

It was then that Merlin finally looked over his long lost friend, he didn't look the same. Familiar yes, he could see his Arthur in the eyes that reflected in pools of green in front of him. The hair was darker, not as blond and his face had more angles and had more feminine features than before. He was also different, while it was clear he had a weight on his shoulders it wasn't the entire known world, at least not yet.

"Arthur? It's Merlin, you are back on Earth, what do you remember?"

"Who is Arthur? I'm Dean-wait Merlin as in the Merlin, aren't you suppose to be all old and stuff."

"Your arrival has helped my appearance; I am more youthful than my real age tends towards."

"I bet, but why are you pulling not so dead me out of the ground?"

"That is the current question, you were dead again, I thought it had been a trick then you were back." He gestured around the area which looked like a bomb went off.

"Yeah, so not your doing."

"Nope."

"Okay, time for answers."

It was a few miles of walking and then a car theft later before they were finally on the road towards answers. Arthur had wanted to go to a hunter name Bobby's; Merlin had met him over the years in passing at the Roadhouse. It was interesting it had been another connection to Arthur or rather Dean. They really were two different people and Merlin wondered if he would get to see his old friend again or would only have the newer version. He convinced the man he could get the help and supplies he needed at the roadhouse.

It was almost a surprise; even if it shouldn't be; that Au-Dean knew Ellen, Jo and a few other hunters, it was a small community and most of the hunters at least any that are worth keeping around for a hunt knew each other. They also knew when one died and when they wouldn't be coming back so Dean wasn't welcome at first until Ellen came out from behind the bar with his shotgun. Merlin knew that if Dean had just walked into the bar after raising from the dead the greeting wouldn't have been as friendly for Dean as it was if Merlin wasn't attached.

"You boys find a table and I'll send Jo over to you. Orders on the house, liquor comes out of your pocket." She informed them pushing two bottles of beer towards the newest guests to the area and smiled as they moved away, Dean found himself scanning the area, there was too much noise, and randomness happening, he felt off. He shouldn't be shocked he had only come back from the dead earlier that day; he felt a headache starting at the base of his neck and rubbed gently hoping he could work it out before it became a problem but it didn't seem that was going to be a possibility.

"Dean are you okay?" he heard Merlin ask and he waves at the other man knowing he just needed to - the pain in the base of his neck exploded and then his forehead exploded in pain that was ten times worse than that in his neck. "Arthur?" Came the unsure voice a few seconds later and he was groaning, he wasn't able to actually hear the other man over his complaints but figured that it would have been happening. Tension was rising and Dean groaned.

"What the fuck is going on," he demanded as he licked his lips and felt hands on his shoulder and pulling him back, two different people moving him, not Merlin or Sammy, females. That much he could tell that much he was sure of.

"Dean I need you to focus for me, I can help you but-"

"Fuck!"Dean screamed as it felt like someone was now stabbing him with acid laced nails and sadly he could remember how that felt. "Oh no, please fuck make it stop."

"Get him out of here!" came a female voice and something mumbling about magic and the past. Dean groaned as they pushed out of a door and the temperature around him changed and he knew that they were back outside again. He took a deep breath and it only caused another explosion of pain and a wave of memories to come screaming at him. Hell, years and years, tens of years, twenty, thirty, forty all backwards from end to beginning and Dean felt the tears rolling down his face.

Was he brought back to life just to be killed by his memories? Was this some evil Hell game that he wasn't actually back? Why would Merlin of all people be there? Where was Sammy and why not see Bobby. "I think I'm dying." Dean stated as he dropped to his knees, pain never ending and pushing on his brain. Throbbing, pulsing and just overall painful. The repeat of his own life memories wasn't really needed but it was nice to see the good times again, he could have done without the horrible memories that came associated with them all.

"We need to get out of here?" he felt someone pulling on his arm but he was useless at the moment, groaning he pulled his arm free and twisted slight trying to pull away from the touch that was heating up on his arm. Shaking it harder he stumbled slightly away from them to fall back onto his knees. The pain was fading slightly, enough that Dean could see around them, he could see Ellen and Jo managing to hold back a great number of hunters with their shotguns. He blinked and then his brain explode with pain again and he was unable to see anything for the second time in less than five minutes.

"Make it stop, please." he moaned as memories he didn't remember having started to trickle back to him. Grabbing his head in both hands he let out a lung scratching scream, it sounded like the blood was pulsing directly in his ears. He felt that if his teeth held anymore tension they would shatter from the force, forcing himself to breathe he stopped the red around his vision; he started to recover slightly from the shock of the memories and pain which was when it struck again.

This time Dean didn't remember anything after the first shot of pain reached him, he was down and out for the count before anything could be further looked into. Blood started to run slightly from his nose, and ears. It was clear that life wasn't going to be easy for them no matter what the time or age was. Merlin sighed as he had enough of the tension and stress and snapped his hands together. The clap shook the attentions of everyone that was waiting around for their shot at Dean.

A few seconds after his hands drew attention he clapped again and rubbed his hands together. "I will give all hunters and baddies three seconds before I strike you down." Merlin promised, he just got his friend and family back he wasn't going to lose them again, he looked to Jo and smiled at her.

"Wanna go pull around the black beauty of a car by the bar. Anyone bothers you, you let me know and I'll fry 'em nice." he promised snapping his fingers and bringing flame to his hand. He knew if Arthur was awake he would be asking what the hell was happening, where all the powers came from. But he wasn't, instead Merlin was left with the body that was kinda awake and kinda his brother in arms and friend but wasn't. Dean Winchester was not Arthur Pendragon, that much was clear but clearly he was and Merlin couldn't help but rub his forehead, no wonder the other had such a bad headache.

Merlin got one just thinking about it, he looked down at the body in front of him then to the seven morons that had remained behind from the entire bar full they had the first time. Merlin shook his head and took to Ellen, she was the one that would be cleaning up and she shrugged.

"Warning never hurt anyone; just don't kill 'em they pay for my power bill for a year in a two week period." She told him and Merlin grinned knowing that finally he had some freedom to do with as he wished. He grinned and rubbed his hands together like he was bringing up an electric charge then he slammed his hands together again, lightning struck down just to the left of the entire group of hunters. Three cursed and was gone before anything could be mentioned to them about leaving, leaving four that didn't know any better. Each slam of the hand together sent another shock of lighting down onto the ground around them and with each strike it got closer and closer.

"Working with fucking Demons, gotta get the fuck out of here." One of them muttered as Ellen brought the shotgun up to bear and fired, the man was left looking up at the stars, his arm full of lead since Ellen didn't want to kill them just get them off the case. They were finally leaving when Jo brought the car back around and took in the front yard.

"What the hell happen here?" she asked looking at a scorch mark that was larger than she as.

"Never you mind that Joanna, you help Merlin put Dean in the backseat and get back into that bar to make sure none of those morons steal from me. " she told her daughter as she looked to Merlin and nodded to the side. "Merlin will be right over, go check and make sure the Winchester boy isn't dead or dying." She grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him over to the far side of the Impala as possible without letting the unarmed two out of sight. "What is going on?" she demanded from him, he didn't want to shrug but it seemed to be the only way to answer and the moment and did so.

"Don't you deal do that!" she said shrugging her own arms and Merlin hadn't been aware that you could be sarcastic in a shrug of a shoulder. It was impressive and Merlin smiled slightly, he would miss Ellen since he doubted they would be around for too long once it was all sorted.

"I don't know what to tell you, that is Arthur, or rather, Dean. I'm rather confused at the moment, once I know what is really going on I would love to tell you." He confessed to her and looked over to the man that was being looked after by Jo and sighed. "I need to get him somewhere safe and sort everything out, if this is really Arthur, and I know it is, we have a lot of threats coming our way and very quickly." He told her and that time he wasn't unsure or weak-willed. He knew they needed to move and that was a point he had no problem in passing along.

"Take him to Bobby's the man will be able to lock down the house and you lot can go from there. Call me when you get him there and if you need anything else you call." She told him putting the shotgun to the side she pulled him into a hug and smiled kissing his forehead. Now go help my daughter get that troublemaker in the car and get gone before the drunks remember there's a problem. When Merlin made her way around to Jo and Dean it was clear that she had cleaned him up a little, the blood was gone and while he was still rather pale he didn't look like he wanted to die.

Together the two of them were able to move him into the backside of the Impala and Merlin was sure that if he knew what was about to happen the man would have lost his mind. Thankfully he was passed out in the backseat; hugging Jo again he jumped into the front seat and took off town the dirt road leading back onto the highway and to Bobby's which offered safety.

TBC...

**Authors Note: **So, I am hoping that being 37 thousand feet means this doesn't suck. Second part as promised to a great number of people, I didn't expect to have this much interest in the story, I am on vacation for the next two weeks and I am hoping that I will be able to get a few of my works wrapped up, this one is one of them. Please let meknow what you thought, should have the third chapter soon, As always (it seems) I am still looking for a beta reader, feel free to apply.

Thanks and would love to hear your review and thoughts!


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